Meeting on Closer Banking Ties with Latin America

Iran’s Foreign Ministry officials and representatives of the state-run and private banks held a meeting in Tehran to explore avenues for expansion of banking relations with Latin American nations following the implementation of the JCPOA.

The gathering was attended by Iranian Foreign Ministry’s political directors in charge of Latin American affairs, representatives from Iranian banks, and diplomats representing a Foreign Ministry committee on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a nuclear agreement between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).

In comments at the meeting, Director General for the Americas at Iran’s Foreign Ministry Mohammad Keshavarz-Zadeh highlighted Latin American nations’ enthusiasm for banking relations with Iran, given the Islamic Republic’s elevated position in the international community, high investment security in Iran, its great political and economic weight in the Middle East, as well as the ample trade opportunities available in the country.

The meeting came a few months after Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif paid a visit to Latin America.

Heading a 120-strong delegation of Iranian business people and economic officials, Zarif travelled to Cuba, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia, and Venezuela in August.

International enthusiasm for enhanced ties with Iran has grown since the JCPOA came into force in January 2016.